#sheine lende

[layaart]

I read an arc of Sheiné łénde by Darcie Little Badger last year and I loved it so much. It comes out in April! Here's some fanart 🌻

[aroaessidhe]

one of my new fungi bookmarks with a few books! mamo and sheiné łénde both involve fairy rings, and mexican gothic....you know.

[read-alert]

[yourfavebooklrsfavebooklr]

New Releases of April 2024!

I’ve been really excited for Dear Wendy for so long! Can’t wait for it to come out :) I have no clue how I’m going to find time to read everything coming out this month tho 😅

[readingtillmidnight]

Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger

Source: NetGalley ARC

Publisher: Levine Querido

Release date: 16 April 2024

Genre: young adult historical/urban fantasy (70s rural Texas)

If you like:

dogs (ghost dogs!)

various ghost animals, existing and extinct

no romance whatsoever

hope and community in the midst of grief and loss

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Synopsis

Shane works with her mother and their ghost dogs, tracking down missing persons even when their families can't afford to pay. Their own family was displaced from their traditional home years ago following a devastating flood - and the loss of Shane's father and her grandparents. They don't think they'll ever get their home back.

Then Shane's mother and a local boy go missing, after a strange interaction with a fairy ring. Shane, her brother, her friends, and her lone, surviving grandparent - who isn't to be trusted - set off on the road to find them. But they may not be anywhere in this world - or this place in time.

Nevertheless, Shane is going to find them.

Content warnings

Colonisation

Loss of close family members

Illness

Natural disasters

Grief

Review

I found out about this book while scrolling through NetGalley, and the second I saw that it was a prequel to Elatsoe, I had to read it.

This is a prequel about Elatsoe's grandmother Shane as a 17 year old girl, but you don't have to read Elatsoe to know what's going on, and both books can be read in either order as standalones.

This book is so well-crafted and thoughtful; it took me a little while to fully immerse myself in the story, because the setting and vibe is so different from Elatsoe, and it is a little slower paced, but once I got into the groove, the story flowed over me.

We follow Shane as she tries to figure out the mystery of her mother's and a child's disappearance, and along the way we learn about her history, as well as explore her relationships with her family and friends.

A strong focus of the book is on Shane's grief; grief from losing not only her home and her family members, but also losing her culture and language. This book tackles the harms caused by colonialism, which goes beyond stealing land, but also erases culture and peoples.

At its heart, this book is about family and community. At times Shane may feel alone, like she has to take on her burdens by herself, but her friends and family are always there for her (dead or alive).

I also loved Rovina Cai's lovely illustrations at each chapter heading; they tell a story parallel to the main story, and they add another layer of depth.

Overall, this is book was written full of heart, and it shows <3

[bookcub]

Book Review: Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger

Thank you to Levine Querido for providing a free digital copy to review via NetGalley.

Sheine Lende is a prerquel to Elatsoe, centering on Ellie's grandmother when she was a teenager. Shane is a tracker, who was trained by her mom. One day, her mom goes missing and Shane must find her with the help of her family and new found friends.

Despite the high stakes of the story, I found the first half to be quite slow paced. It was worth taking my time with and I found the second half to be more compelling. The storytelling within the novel created any layers and nuance to the characters and plot. I especially enjoyed the few chapters in first person in contrast to the ones in third, as they felt more emotional.

Another aspect I enjoyed was how the conflict in the story arose very natually from the circumstances of the characters' lives and how they were well equipped for their journey. This adds a level of believability that many speculative stories can lack and for me, raises the stakes, due to the reality mixed in with ther fantastical.

The ending was incredibly satisfying and very rewarding.

This is the third novel I have read by Little Badger and I am always excited to return to her work. Her signature writing style remains beautiful, the much needed focus on familial and platonic relationships was present, as well as poignant themes of colonialism. Little Badger manages to have a distinct style, while each of her works functioning as its own distinct story. I am excited to see what she has in store for us next!

[demisexualnathanvuornos]

Sheine Lende/ Shané łénde/ Sheiné łénde by Darcie Little Badger; art by Rovina Cai (2024) 2/ 4

[screeching-lavender-sweater]

Reading Sheine Lende and have quite literally only gotten this far, but I NEEDED to sketch this part